Electromechanical actuating device for electric switches, valves, &amp; c.



Patented Nov. 26, l90l;

E. N. LAKE. ELECTROMECHANICAL ACTUATING DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC SWITCHES, VALVES, &.c.

(Application filed June 20, 1901.)

(No Modal.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

EDWARD N. LAKE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL INCAN- DESCENT ARC LIGHT CO., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECIROMECHANICAL ACTUAIING DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC SWITCHES, VALVES, dc.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 687,690, dated November 26, 1901.

Application filed June 20, 1901.

T aZZ whom it may concern.- Be it known that I, EDWARD N. LAKE, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electromechanical Actuating Devices for Electric Switches, Valves, &c.; and I do hereby declare that the followin g is afull, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying to drawing, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which forms a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in actuating devices for high-tension oil-switches I 5 for electrical apparatus, for heavy valves and like parts which are to be positively shifted from limit to limit of their throw.

Among the objects of the invention is to produce a device of this character which shall be simple and durable in construction and efficient in its action.

The drawing is a view, diagrammatic in its nature, illustrating an actuating device constituting my invention.

As shown in said drawing, A A designate two parallel vertical bars, which are attached at their lower ends to a cross-bar A with which latter is connected a vertical rod or stem A which may be attached to an electric switch or may be the stem of a valve or like part to be actuated.

B C D designate three parallel rollers, which are geared together by gear-wheels E E E mounted on shafts e e e and driven 5 from any suitable source of power. Either of the gear-wheelsE E E maybe the driven gear-wheel. Said gear-wheels mesh with gear-wheels carried by the shafts b c d of the rollers B C D, as clearly indicated in dotted lines. The direction of rotation of the rollers and gear-wheels is shown by the arrows, from which it will be seen that the outside rollers C D rotate in opposite directions and that the adjacent faces of each of said rollers C D and the roller B move in the same direction. The bars A A pass on either side of the central roller B and between said roller and the outer rollers O D; but it is not the intention that said bars when at rest 5o have actual contact with either of the rollers.

Serial No. 65,289. (No model.)

The frame, consisting of the bars A A and the cross-bar A is adapted to be lowered from the position shown in the drawing by bringing the roller C forcibly against the bar A, and thereby press said bar against the intermediate roller B. When this occurs, by reason of the fact that the adjacent faces of the rollers C D move downwardly, the frame will be forced downwardly by engagement of the bar A with said rollers, the right-hand bar A being at this time free from the rollers, and, therefore, presents no obstacle to the lowering of the frame. When the frame has reached the lower limit of its movement, the roller C is released and allowed to fall back to its normal position away from the bar A. In order to raise the frame and the connected part, the right-hand roller D is similarly moved against the right-hand bar A and binds said bar between the rollers B D, and the direction of rotation of said righthand roller and the intermediate roller is such that when brought into contact with said bar acts to raise said frame, the bar A at this time being free from the rollers C D. The means for effecting the mechanical move ment to bring the rollers C D alternately against the bars are electrically actuated and are made as follows:

F F designate two links, one pivotally mounted at its upper end on the shaft 6 of the gearwheel E and the other similarly mounted on the shaft of the gear-wheel E The shafts c d of the rollers C D are rotatively mounted in the links I F, between the ends thereof.

E F designate jointed levers, which are pivoted near their inner ends to the lower ends of the links F F and are pivotally connected at their outer ends to stationary abutments G G.

C D designate solenoids located one on each side of the set of rollers. The cores 0 D of said solenoids are pivoted to the jointed levers E E respectively, at the joints thereof. With this construction it will be seen that when either solenoid is energized and the core thereof is moved inwardly said core acts to straighten the jointed lever connected therewith and to swing the connected link to move roof the roller carried thereby into contact with the adjacent bar of the valve-actuating frame. The solenoids are included in an electric actuating-circuit, which circuit includes also a double-throw switch H, connected with a primary battery by wires 1 and 2. Then the switch is in position to close the circuit through the left-hand solenoid, the core of said. solenoid is moved upwardly and, through the lever F and link F, causes the roller 0 to be thrown against the bar A and bind said bar between the rollers CB. Upon rotation of said rollers the frame, consisting of said bars A, A, and A is moved downwardly. When it is desired to raise the frame and connected parts, the circuit is closed through the right-hand solenoid D by throwing the switch over to the other side of its axis of oscillation. This will cause the core of the right-hand solenoid to move upwardly and, through the lever F and link F, to move the roller D against the adjacent bar A and cause said bar to be bound between said rollers B D. Rotation of said rollers at this time acts to raise said frame. The circuit is automatically opened when the frame is at either limit of its movement. The means for automatically opening said circuit at the terminal of the upward and downward movements are made as follows: Within said circuits are included contact-pieces 3, 4, 5, and 6, the contact-pieces 3 and at being arranged in a pair adjacent to the bar A and the contact-pieces 5 and 6 in another pair adjacent to the bar A. The contact-pieces 3 and 4 are adapted to have contact with a longitudinally-arranged metal strip A on the bar A, and the contact-pieces 5 and (i are adapted to have like contact with a similar strip A on the other bar. The strip A is so arranged on the bar that when the frame is at the upper limit of its movement the contact-piece 4 has passed off the strip A thereby opening the circuit within which these parts are included. \Vhen the frame has reached its lowermost position, the contact-piece 5 will have moved off the strip A and in a similar manner open the circuit in which it is included. In each instance, however, one of the contactpieces of each pair remains in contact with its associated strip. In the position of the bars shown in the drawing the frame has just been raised and, the contact-piece 4. having passed off the strip A, the circuit, which has actuated the device to raise the frame, is open. It will be understood that the momentum of the frame will be sufficient to carry the same to its uppermost position with the strip A past the contact-piece 4, as shown in the drawing. In this position of the parts both contact-pieces 5 and 6 are engaged with the strip A so that when the switch is thrown to the other side of its axis of oscillation the circuit will be closed through the left-hand solenoid C and the mechanical devices operated to depress the frame. Means are provided for looking the frame in position at the upper limit of movement thereof, as shown in the drawing. Said locking means are so constructed as to be released when the left-hand solenoid O is energized to depress the frame. A con venient construction for accomplishing this result is shown in the drawing and is made as follows:

I designates a dog adapted to engage a projection a in the bar A. Said dog has the form of a bell-crank lever, one arm of which yields in one direction against a spring t', said arm being rigid with the other arm of the lever in the other direction. To the outer end of said dog is pivoted a link I, said link being pivorally connected with an extensionfon the adjacent jointed lever F Said dog I is pivoted to a stationary part i, which may be attached to any suitable stationary part of the machinery. In the operation of this feature of the device it will be noted that when the frame is raised from its lowermost position the projection a is permitted to pass over the dog I by reason of the spring-pressed connection of one arm of the dog with the other arm thereof, and that when said projection has been raised above the extreme end of the dog the springt' tends to throw the dog under the projection and hold the frame in its uppermost position. When, however, the lever F is moved to throw the roller 0 against the bar A, it will act to release the dog from the bar, the extension f of said lever acting through the link I to swing the dog outwardly away from the projection on the said bar A. In order to promptly arrest movement of the frame when it has reached either limit of its movement, said bars A A. may be provided with outwardly-opening cut-away portions a (0 which come opposite the rollers O D, respectively, when the frame reaches the limit of its movement in either direction. Said depressions release contact of the rollers with the bars at once upon reaching the limits of their movement without waiting the appreciable time necessary to deenergize the actuating-solenoid and the time required for moving the roller away from the bar.

It is obvious that many changes may be made in the details of the construction shown without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I do not wish to be limited to such details except as hereinafter made the subject of specific claims.

I claim as my invention 1. A device for the purpose set forth comprising a plurality of parallel rollers geared together, a frame embracing a bar adapted to pass between two of said rollers, one of said two rollers being fixed and the other being bodily movable toward and away from the bar in a manner to pinch the bar between the movable and stationary rollers, and the adjacent faces of said rollers moving in the same direction.

2. A device for the purpose set forth comprising a plurality of parallel rollers geared together, a frame embracing a bar adapted to pass between two of said rollers, one of said two rollers being fixed and the other being bodily movable toward and away from the bar in a manner to pinch the bar between the movable and stationary rollers, the adjacent faces of said rollers moving in the same direction, and electrically-actuating means for forcing said movable roller against the bar.

3. A device for the purpose set forth comprising three parallel rollers, the intermediate roller being fixed and the outer rollers being bodily movable toward and away from the intermediate roller, gears connecting said rollers in such manner that the adjacent faces of each outer roller and the intermediate roller move in. the same direction, a frame embracing two bars which pass between said intermediate and outer rollers, and means for sepa-' rately forcing said outer rollers against the adjacent bar and thereby pinching the bar between said rollers and the intermediate roller.

4. A device for the purpose set forth comprising three parallel rollers, the intermediate roller being fixed and the outer rollers being bodily movable toward and away from the intermediate roller, gears connecting said rollers, a frame embracing two bars which pass between said intermediate and the outer rollers, pivoted links in which said outer rollers are journaled, whereby the same may be moved toward and from said bars, and means connected with the free ends of said links for moving the same toward and away from said bar.

5. A device for the purpose set forth comprising three parallel rollers, the intermediate roller being fixed and the outer rollers being bodily movable toward and from the intermediate roller, gears connecting said rollers, a frame embracing two bars which pass between said intermediate and the outer rollers, pivoted links in which said outer rollers are journaled, whereby the same may be moved toward and from said bars, jointed levers pivoted to the free ends of said bars, two solenoids, the cores of which are pivoted to said levers at or near the joints thereof, and a branched electric circuit adapted to be alternately closed through said solenoids.

6. A device for the purpose set forth comprising a plurality of parallel rollers geared together, a frame embracing a bar adapted to pass between two of said rollers, one of said two rollers being fixed and the other being bodily movable toward and away from the bar in a manner to pinch the bar between the movable and stationary rollers, the adjacent faces of said rollers moving in the same direction, electrically-actuated means for forcing said movable roller against the bar, and

means for positively locking the frame at the upward limit of its movement, said locking means being released when the movable roller is thrown against the bar preparatory to depressing said frame.

7. A device for the purpose set forth comprising three parallel rollers, the intermediate roller being fixed, two links pivoted at their upper ends and carrying between their ends the journals of the outer rollers, whereby said rollers may be moved toward and from the intermediate roller, a frame embracing two bars which pass between the said intermediate and outer rollers, a jointed lever connected with each of said links, two solenoids, the cores of which are pivoted to said jointed levers, whereby, when each solenoid is energized and its core moved thereinto, the link connected therewith will be moved to swing the roller carried thereby against the bar, and a locking device adapted to e11- gage a projection on one of said bars when the frame is at the upper limit of its movement, said locking device being connected with one of the jointed levers, whereby, when said lever is actuated to swing its connected roller against the adjacent bar, said locking device will be released.

8. A device for the purpose set forth comprising three parallel rollers, the intermediate roller being fixed and the outer rollers being bodily movable toward and away from said intermediate roller, a frame comprising two bars which pass between said intermediate and outer rollers, and means for severally forcing each of said movable rollers against the adjacent bar and thereby pinching the bar between said rollers and the intermediate roller, comprising two solenoids, the cores of which are operatively connected with said outermost rollers to effect the movement described, a primary electric circuit provided with branches in which said solenoids are included and including also a twothrow switch, whereby said solenoids are alternately energized,- a longitudinally-arranged metallic strip on each of said bars, and a pair of contact-pieces in each branch of the electric circuit adapted for contact with each strip, each strip being moved out of contact with one of the contact-pieces of each pair when the frame reaches one limit of its movement.

9. A device for the purpose set forth comprising a plurality of rollers geared together,

a frame embracing a bar adapted to pass between two of said rollers, one of said two rollers being fixed and the other bodily movable toward and away from the bar in a manner to pinch the bar between the movable and stationary rollers and the adjacent faces of said rollers moving in the same direction, an electric circuit for actuating said movable roller and means for opening said circuit at each limit of movement of the frame.

10. A device for the purpose set forth comprising a plurality of parallel rollers geared together, a frame embracing a bar adapted to pass between two of said rollers, one of said two rollers being fixed and the other being bodily movable toward and away from the bar in a manner to pinch the bar between the movable and stationary rollers, and the adjacent faces of said rollers moving in the adjacent faces of said rollers moving in the same direction, said bar being provided on its side adjacent to the movable roller with a depression which is in line with the rollers at the limit of movement of the bar.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I aflix mysignature, in presence 20 of two witnesses, this 14th day of June, A. D. 1901.

EDWVARD N. LAKE.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM L. HALL, GERTRUDE Baron. 

